


mauve and cerulean

by peppermintteababy



Category: K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Art Student Jeon Jungkook, Gen, University Student Kim Taehyung | V
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22047475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peppermintteababy/pseuds/peppermintteababy
Summary: Jeon Jungkook befriends a strange student at his university.
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	1. act I

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this such a long time ago, so I haven't edited since two years ago. originally posted on ARMY Amino but I thought I would share it here as well. please let me know if there are any mistakes!

Jeon Jungkook liked rainy days. When the sky was clouded with greys and whites and the rain came in tears or waterfalls, everything somehow felt at peace. But today, he didn't have an umbrella or a raincoat, and he hadn't expected it to rain. His toes were beginning to tingle from the early morning frost, and if it weren't for the obsessively interested gaze of a certain female clerk, he would have stepped back into the art shop to wait out the downpour. He chose instead to wait on the front steps, gingerly shifting his weight and trying to ignore the loss of feeling in his feet.

Rain plinked at the ironically sunshine yellow awning and Jungkook felt his mind wander. His first few weeks as a Sophomore at university had him running from class to dorm and back, searching among his stacks of still packed boxes for textbooks and art supplies, and answering calls from home every time his family worried he wasn't doing well at his new school. To be completely honest with himself, Jungkook did not believe he was doing very well; he was hardly eating, sleep evaded him at night, even his motivation and inspiration for art that had been like a friend by his side for years seemed to be slipping away. 

He felt drained, physically and emotionally. Irritation came more easily than it used to before he moved out, and although he assured his family he was staying bright and cheerful, he began to withdraw into himself and hide out in his dorm most days. This trip to the nearest art store in town was his first in a while. 

Jungkook fidgeted and shifted his weight once more before he spotted a young man, bundled in grey and collared with blue. His fluffed black hair added only an inch to his short stature, but the way he gripped his umbrella, with one hand against the wind and shielded his eyes with the other, suggested an unseen strength and elegance that more than made up for his height. 

That was Park Jimin. Inseparable since grade school, he and Jungkook had begged their parents to allow them to attend the same high school, and later college. They weren't sons of rich businessmen, and their families didn't own several houses anywhere near Jeju or Seoul, but the boys were dedicated workers and excelled at the tops of their classes, launching them smoothly down paths towards solid and dependable careers. 

Jungkook plastered a smile onto his face as his friend trudged up the steps towards him, his umbrella peppered with crystal raindrops that slid off as he shook them. 

"I should think you'd at least wear some warmer clothes if you're going to be out in this kind of weather." Jimin muttered with a wry grin. "And without an umbrella, Kookie? What is your mother going to think of me if you die of pneumonia?" 

"That you're amazing as always for coming to rescue me, Hyung." Jungkook threw an arm over Jimin's shoulder and widened his grin, scrunching up his nose to mask his low mood. "I think she likes you more than me." 

Jimin threw back his head in a laugh, eyes crinkling nearly shut. "Not a chance." He chuckled once more. "Now let's get going. I've got some more practice to finish before classes, and I don't think you've eaten breakfast yet, have you?" 

"I had some ramen!" Jungkook retorted. 

Their college was only a twenty minute walk away from the center of town, so Jimin and Jungkook kept close to the line of flowering cherry trees that bordered the sidewalks. The sun rose steadily at their backs; its golden light cast a series of rainbows at their feet through the curtain of rainfall. But Jungkook didn't see them. His gaze wandered and his ears tuned out Jimin’s chatter and offhand complaints of Jungkook’s destructive diet for a while. He had so much on his mind, yet felt as though he weren't thinking at all.

At one point, Jimin stopped walking to hold a hand out before him, palm faced upwards as if to catch the rain. Jungkook paused just in time to keep himself from walking out from under the umbrella’s shelter, but it was taken away from him anyway. Jimin twirled it closed and drops of sparkly water flew off the metal tips like a fountain carousel.

“Rain stopped.” Jimin murmured before continuing on, then glancing back once or twice until Jungkook snapped out of his daze and followed. “There's only a week left. Are you ready?”

Only then did Jungkook realize he hadn't been listening to a thing Jimin had been saying on their walk. He had been so focused on himself he didn't even notice the spire of their college’s clock tower peeking over the rooftops of nearby townhouses.

Jimin threw his friend a curious glance, his eyes searching and expressions hesitant. “You didn't catch a cold while waiting for me, did you?”

“Oh, no.” Jungkook cleared his throat. “No, I'm good. I just have a lot on my mind. What did you ask?

“Have you finished that big assignment yet? The one you mentioned was due next week.”

Jungkook split a wide grin. “Just about.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and jauntily tilted his head, gesturing for Jimin to look across the street. To the right, the college’s dance studio was draped in ribbons of shadow and sunshine; leftover clouds melted away like mare’s tails under the rising sun’s beams.

“I'll see you later, Kookie.” Jimin shot an astonished look at his watch. “Gotta run! Bring your own umbrella next time!”

A puff of white breath escaped in a silent sigh as Jimin finally disappeared from sight inside the studio building. Jungkook let his feet scrape the ground, crunching on the wet leaves caked into the sidewalk’s cracks. He grit his teeth in disappointment. He'd lied to Jimin about the assignment, as he had been lying for the past few weeks since the assignment was first given.

Of course, if he could, he would ask for Jimin’s advice, but lately, his best friend had been so busy and often overworked himself for his passion. Jungkook understood that kind of stress and he refused to provide any more of it than he could help. Jungkook couldn't stand seeing his loved ones stressed or in pain, but being the cause of it would tear him apart even more. He could figure it out on his own. He knew it. But he only had a week, and he wasn't sure if that would be enough time.

He needed to clear his mind.

* * *

There were only two other students in the gym when Jungkook entered. Both female, they seemed to be friends or at least close acquaintances as evident by their quiet conversation and casual pace on adjacent treadmills. Neither looked to have noticed him and he had no desire to attract their attention, so Jungkook decided to start his warm up routine on the far end of the gym. He slung his towel over the handle of a nearby mechanical bike and dropped to the ground.

“One. Two. Three.” Jungkook counted each time he went down. By twenty, he sighed and sat up to stretch. Another set of push-ups went by in seconds. And yet another. Beads of cool sweat rimmed his hairline, his breathing was calm, yet his mind distracted.

The assignment had been presented to the class two weeks prior, just after midterm exams had ended. It was supposed to be a simple warmup to keep their brushes busy and their creativity warm over the break.

“Pick one person in your life, maybe a family member or a friend, or maybe someone you don't know very well, who inspires you to strive for the very best version of yourself. Paint something that represents those feelings. Paint what you imagine you would say to this person if you could only see them for one minute more and then never again.”

Simple.

But Jungkook had left the classroom flustered and frantic. He avoided the groups of students chattering about their excitement over the project. He kept his head down and hood up, to ward away stares from his much older classmates. No one approached him. He didn't stop walking until he reached his dorm. And even then, his mind wouldn't calm itself down.

Jungkook wracked his brain for days after that, standing before his easel, wide-eyed, with a heavy chest, a blank canvas, and a brush loaded with who knows what color. His hands refused to move the brush to touch the taunt, white fabric. 

He would stand there for hours.

The sun would set and the stars would blink against the darkness and his sneakers would hit the cement outside. The night would consume him and steal away his thoughts as he walked the paths from the college to the lake, to the forest, and back, until morning.

The two other students were getting ready to leave the gym by the time Jungkook had finished his warmup routine and spent quite a bit of time working his muscles without equipment. As the girls left, chattering to themselves and glancing back at Jungkook at only one noticeable instance, Jungkook took to the treadmill and ran for about an hour, walking for another half to cool down his spanning legs. 

Twenty minutes through his workout on the rowing machine, Jungkook heard a buzz, and then something almost musical. He almost didn’t notice it, too focused on counting each pull to keep himself from thinking of anything else. His tee was drenched in both front and back, and with each pull, Jungkook could feel a steady thud in his ears. 

His heartbeat.

But it was his ringtone he heard over the pound now.

The familiar, garbled, almost dystopian-vibed voice chanted, “I am a good boy...”

Jungkook paused and let the handles click back into their default position before standing and throwing his hand towel around his neck. His phone was tucked into the side pocket of his gym bag so it took a moment to fish it out, the voice now singing “Ey, everybody!”

“Hello?” Jungkook plugged his earbuds in and spoke with the phone closer to his mouth than his ear. Sweat dripped off his chin and he moved to catch it with his towel.

“You’re not eating ramen for lunch again, are you?”

Jimin.

“What?” Jungkook smirked, even though he knew his friend couldn’t see.

From his earbuds came a heavy sigh. Jungkook heard the catch in Jimin’s throat as the sigh turned to a grunt. Then a chuckle.

“Your breathing is loud.” Jimin snorted softly. “Have you been at the gym since this morning?”

“Oh. Yeah.” Jungkook patted the hand towel on his forehead and yawned. “Why?”

“Kookie, it’s almost one!” A bright burst of laughter shook the speakers of Jungkook’s earbuds. “You’ve got to remember to eat like a normal person! And not just ramen and seaweed snacks! What will your mother think of me if you starve to death?”

“Hyung, I’ve told you this before.” Jungkook tossed his towel into his gym bag and sat down for one last stretch.“They would still love you even if you made me rethink my career as an artist and stole me away to the Americas on one of your dance fanatic tours.”

Jimin snickered. “It was all the food I bought them.”

“Sneaky jerk.”

“Yeah, I deserve that.” A laugh. “Anyway, just wanted to let you know I can’t join you for dinner tonight. Practice is going to run late.”

“Are you saying practice is more important than your best friend?” Jungkook raised his tone to act as if he were shocked.

“Of course not!” Jimin snapped, but Jungkook knew he was grinning on the other end. “I’ll treat you tomorrow, deal?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Don’t forget to eat.”

“Don’t practice too hard.”

_Click._

* * *

The concrete beneath Jungkook’s sneakers glowed pink and purple, reflecting the lamplight filtering through bundles of cherry blossoms above him. Freckles of the light splashed across his hands and shoulders and danced in his eyes as he gazed about, searching for anything that would spark his imagination. 

Tonight felt different. An urge to paint and capture the scene called to his heart and ached at his hands. After the workout, he’d returned to his dorm, showered and dressed in a cozy, knitted jumper, slipped on his walking shoes and left early. He didn’t spare a glance towards his easel and just walked. This time, he took a more familiar route, one that had never failed to inspire him.

Jungkook loved this time of night, the hours of calm and gradients dazzling to an artist’s eye. Just as the sun dips below the horizon, the streetlamps blink their golden eyes. When the leaning bodies, weaving arms, and waving fingers of the cherry trees are silhouetted against the twilight, few are lucky enough to be blessed by such perfect timing. Yet fewer are those aware enough to realize it.

Even before Jungkook struck stone in his classes, he would frequent this path to the lake. Lined with cherry blossom trees and lit by golden lanterns, this was where Jungkook let his imagination free.

He hummed to himself as he traipsed along. Singing his favourite songs never failed to lift his mood and he just so happened to have one stuck in his head at the moment. The song was one of Jungkook’s special songs, the ones that he played when he was feeling tired or upset. It was a soft melody with bits of vocalization every little while, a song of lost love and a yearning spirit. The lyrics spoke of strong determination in the face of pain and the promise that one’s life would never be without worth if it had passion for a positive goal.

At one particular line in the chorus, Jungkook would stop singing along completely and close his eyes, throw his head back, and truly allow himself to listen to the moment of pure emotion. The singer would nail the high note, so perfectly, every time, even in Jungkook’s mind, and that line would erase all anxiety and stress from his mind. If only for a moment.

Without realizing it, Jungkook had moved to assume the exact position he always would when he listened to the song. 

And for some reason, under the golden lights and violet night, the soft breeze that fondled the tips of his dark hair, he felt awkward about it.

The moment of calm vanished as he dropped his head down and stared at the figure not five meters away.

He was leaning against the trunk of an ashy black cherry tree, golden hair dappled in amber light and quite the professional camera grasped in his left hand.

When their eyes met, Jungkook paused and stared into a pair of the most curious, vibrant blue eyes he had ever seen.

The stranger lifted his camera and snapped a photo.


	2. act II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jungkook gets to know the mysterious student.

When Jungkook texted Jimin the next morning about his encounter with the queer upperclassman, Jimin said he had seen him around, snoozing in meadows with his camera secured around his wrist and climbing drain pipes around campus to capture a sunset from the roof view. 

Jimin described a lonely man, an outcast that never looked twice at any other student and would skip classes just to take photos down by the lake or in the deeper parts of the forest.

But thinking back, the gleam in his eyes, so vibrant and full of some other-worldly wonder, the student seemed far from alone. Light and life surrounded him and every word from his mouth seemed to sing of adventure.

In any normal circumstance, a simple hello would have been the appropriate greeting. Jungkook had not expected the student to take a photo of him and he had definitely not expected what he did afterwards.

_ “Come look at this.” _

_ Jungkook tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, considering whether to walk away or follow the blond-haired, blue-eyed student. He could certainly not be blamed for rudeness if he denied the offer and walked on or back to his dorm. It was, after all, the other who had taken a photo of him without his permission. That was rude, right? And yet, why had he not yet asked for him to delete the photo? _

_ After wrapping the ribbon of his camera more tightly around his wrist, the student turned to catch hold of a branch above him and pulled, hoisting himself into the cherry tree with little effort. Jungkook could only just see a slim whisp of blue from the hem of his over-sized shirt, dangling at eye level. _

_ “Are you coming?” The stranger hung upside down now, only his head visible through the pink blossoms.  _

_ Jungkook laughed. The student looked too funny, too friendly; he smiled his way past every one of Jungkook’s walls and buried himself into Jungkook’s heart. Jungkook felt warm and fuzzy inside. Something he hadn’t felt in so long, it ached as much as it tingled. _

_ The two students climbed the cherry tree as high as they could before the branches began to sway beneath their weight. The flowers were less clustered higher in the tree, allowing a bit more view from the inside, yet there were still enough to provide a whimsical filter. _

_ “You study at this college, right?” _

Jungkook’s phone rang and he snapped himself out of his memories.

“You weren’t answering my messages. Are you alive?” Jimin sighed over the phone. 

“Yeah, got lost in thought.” Jungkook replied. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

“How was your practice?”

“Oh,” Jimin paused for a moment. A noise like the shifting of a microwave door sounded and Jimin grunted a bit before hissing and setting something down roughly. “Yeah. It was fine. I was just texting about that actually. Do you mind coming over to my dorm for a bit?” Jimin asked. “I want to run something past you.”

“Sure. I’ll be over in a bit.”

“I’ve got some stuff in the fridge too.” Jimin said. “For breakfast. I’m going to make you eat it even if you’ve eaten already.”

Jungkook snickered. “Yes, Mom.”

“Bring over some extra snacks. None of that seaweed stuff though, okay?”

_ “Yes.” The student gestured with his camera. “Photographer, obviously.” _

_ “What's your name?” Jungkook asked, closely observing as the stranger turned to photograph a tuft of pink petals the size of Jungkook’s pinky nail blooming an arms’ from the lens of the student’s camera. He leaned in attentively and held his breath as the shutter clicked. _

_ “Taehyung. Uh, Kim Taehyung.” He looked up to meet Jungkook’s eyes. “You’re Jeon Jungkook, am I correct? The artist who painted ‘aquamarine angel’.” _

_ “Yeah..” Jungkook blinked. He hadn’t showed that painting but once during class; and when it was displayed in the college’s gallery, he’d gone in as soon as the doors were unlocked to take it down. “That’s me.” _

_ “It was a nice piece.” Taehyung said, adjusting his lens again to focus more clearly on the flowers. “Anything in particular that inspired you to paint it?” _

_ “Oh. Well…” Jungkook paused. Taehyung looked up to meet Jungkook’s eyes. _

“Kookie!” Jimin shouted.

Jungkook twitched. “Yes, got it. No seaweed snacks. I’ll be there in a minute.”

* * *

Once the coffee Jungkook found hidden in the corner of a far cupboard had been brewed and a fragrant steam rose from two egg sandwiches cooling on a tray, Jimin and Jungkook settled down at the kitchen island. As he spoke, Jimin constantly plucked at the beads of fluff on his grey sweatpants, and every other sentence, his hand would somehow make its way back up to his hair to give it a run through, a gentle toss, or a complete mess. He coughed and scratched at his thigh.

“Our coach has been talking a lot about taking us somewhere else to train.” Jimin said, breaking eye contact with his friend for the nth time. Jungkook sipped his coffee and stayed silent. “He’s upset with some of our performances.”

“Why is that?” Frowning, Jungkook set his mug on the counter none too gently. “You’ve been practicing so hard.”

Jimin huffed. “It’s not only me. Remember the guy I told you who got me interested in the program in the first place?”

Jungkook nodded.

“He’s had to take several leaves because of his family’s financial status, getting behind on his workouts choreography practices.”

Jungkook bit into his sandwich, humming with delight. The bread had cooled significantly to where it no longer stung to hold, but the egg and vegetables inside were still toasty. He gestured towards Jimin’s sandwich, to ask if Jimin intended on eating it. Jimin didn’t notice.

“There’s also another guy in our program, and he’s literally still a kid, only seventeen, I think. Got accepted through a scholarship for his grades, and is working his butt off to catch up on the muscular side of dance, but he’s still far behind.”

“Are you talking about Jun-min?” Jungkook paused.

Jimin nodded and finally brought his sandwich to his lips to take a bite. He pulled it back last second. “Our coach says we’ve been distracted and a city experience would do us good.”

“Oh. Where?”

“Seoul.”

Jungkook choked and flinched as the coffee he had previously been taking careful sips of burned his mouth with too big of a gulp. Jimin jumped up to pound his back as he coughed to catch his breath.

“Here.” Jimin handed Jungkook a paper towel to wipe his face while he took another to the spill on the table. 

“That’s so far away!” Jungkook exclaimed. “What about the rest of your courses?”

“I've already worked it out with most of my professors. I’ll be allowed to work online and email my assignments to keep up. But moving there will mean more practice and the weekends will be full.”

“Oh.” Jungkook gnawed at the inside of his cheek. “Well. That’s good, right? You’ll have a lot of opportunities to learn from more experienced teachers. That’s good.”

“Right.” Jimin signed and ran his hand through his hair again, chuckled a bit before taking a deep breath. “But, are you okay with it? I mean, I’ll be gone for-”

“Yeah! Of course I’m okay with it.” Jungkook grinned. “That’s so cool. You’re going to have so many great opportunities. I’m happy for you.”

“Okay,” Jimin smiled softly. “I'm glad. I was a little worried.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

Once they finished their breakfast and all that was left was the dregs of Jungkook’s coffee and crumbs of bread on Jimin’s plate, the best friends cleaned up and moved to the living room. There, Jimin had already moved the furniture against the couch to provide more space to dance. Jungkook plopped himself down on the arm of a couch and fingered the frayed thread of his sweatshirt’s drawstring tie.

Jimin stretched briefly before taking his position, arms to his side and right foot crossed over and pointed forward. He nodded at Jungkook to make sure he had his full attention, then he danced. 

Graceful and elegant, his movements shaped a fluid story, forming a dance like one would sculpt a lump of clay into a vase, tall and strong, striking in the way it commanded attention from all those in the room. The power behind the expression of his body sang on its own and the only sound in the apartment was of Jimin’s bare feet lightly tapping down after each spin or jump. The performance enchanted Jungkook, but even as his eyes followed the curve of Jimin’s arms and the flow of his steps, his mind had drifted away only moments into the performance.

_ “Hey, watch your foot!” Taehyung had suddenly grabbed ahold of Jungkook’s shoulder, just in time to keep him from slipping from his precarious perch. “You’ll fall…” _

_ “Thanks.” Jungkook mumbled, staring down at the petal-blanketed ground. The blossoms blown by the breeze settled into the grass and gave the appearance of pink snow or feathers, so soft it seemed that if Jungkook stepped foot into it, he would fall right through and be smothered in tiny kisses.  _

_ “What did you want me to look at… by the way?” _

_ His smile seemed to sparkle in that moment, such a wide, boxy grin that could rival the lamplight, as it glowed into Jungkook’s heart rather than his eyes. So full of excitement and pride, Taehyung whispered. _

_ “Close your eyes, and you’ll see.” _

“Kookie?”

Jungkook blinked open his eyes. Jimin still stood, but he had stopped dancing.

“Are you okay?” He leaned in, eyes wavering and eyebrows drawn together. “You don’t look well. Did you sleep at all last night?”

Jungkook blinked, the tingles still clinging to his mind. Memories from the night before. The glow of Taehyung’s almond-shaped sapphire eyes in the lamplight. The caress of the breeze as it chilled the back of Jungkook’s neck and lifted curls of his fallow hair. He had closed his eyes instinctively and the moment he had, he was floating. The smooth bark beneath his fingertips vanished. The air breathed with a heartbeat.

He didn’t sleep a wink.

“Of course I did.” Jungkook tilted his head and blinked slowly, pursing his lips owl-ishly. “I wouldn’t want my mother to do anything to you if I died from sleep deprivation.”

Jimin snorted, yet his expression only lifted the barest bit. “Okay.”

“Hey, I’ve got some more stuff to pack up.” Jimin sighed, pawing a towel to his neck. He pulled down his collar a bit to wipe the sweat from his chest before throwing the towel into a hamper. “Maybe you should head home and take a few hours off. Or you could crash in my bed. You really do look like you’ve come back from the dead or something.”

“Nah, I’m good.” Jungkook grinned. “I could help you pack up if you need an extra hand?”

Jimin looked around the room. “No, that’s alright. It’s not like I have much to pack up anyway.” He laughed awkwardly.

“Sure.” Jungkook felt his phone buzz against his thigh. “I’ll get going then.”

“Yeah,” Jimin replied. “Thanks for coming over. I appreciate the extra eyes.”

* * *

He choked on a catch in his throat. He knew he wouldn’t cry, but the news of Jimin’s incoming move hit him harder than he thought. A deep hole seemed to open up in his chest, sucking the air from his lungs and the strength from his heart.

One step.

Two steps.

Jungkook clutched at his hair, running through the curls roughly and tugging handfuls as if to pull away the headache starting just beneath his reach. His heart beat so fast, and he shook now.

Something pulled at his feet and he stumbled. His hands scraped against a sharp stone. He could see the blood, but the pain felt distant, as if but a whisper through the fog storm in his mind.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t see Jimin for so long. It wasn’t even the distance. They could always skype call or text during break. He would have plenty of time to drive down and visit personally.

It was the change and difficulties that accompanied.

Not for himself.

For Jimin.

He felt blood on his tongue.

_ Buzz. Buzz. Chirp! _

Jungkook took a deep breath, swallowing his tears and hoisting himself back to his feet. Moods like this were dangerous for Jungkook. Now was not the time to falter. His mobile phone buzzed again as he slipped it from his jeans pocket.

* * *

**_V_ **

_ [photo] _

_ Thought you might like a photo to remember _

_ Want to talk? I’m on the roof _

_ whoa, nice _

_ why are u on the roof _

_ are there railings _

_ No, but it’s safe. I’ve been up here a few _

_ times already. The view is amazing _

_ I want to talk. Please? _

_ fine. _

_ i’ll be up in a min _

_South side. By the gardenias_ ✰  
  


* * *

Taehyung had his back to Jungkook, leaning in close to clusters of spiraled, white flowers in a pot just as large as him. The leaves bloomed out in a seven-pointed star around the creamy petals, and as Taehyung’s camera lens neared inches from the flowers, Jungkook heard the shutter click. Jungkook paused a few feet away from the student.

“Hey,” Taehyung surprised Jungkook by greeting first. “You're here.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook shifted his feet, an uneasy feeling lingering in his chest. “You should get away from the edge. It’s not safe.”

Taehyung chuckled and stood, slinging his camera over his shoulder and dusting the knees of his khaki capris. Golden tassels reflected droplets of sunlight into Jungkook’s eyes as he caught Taehyung's azure gaze. Jungkook could never understand how a simple human could be so stunning, and he wasn’t even into romantic relationships right now, so he couldn’t attribute his attraction to emotion. Taehyung was just so beautiful, with a childlike heart-shaped face and full, flushed lips pulled into a wide grin it seemed surreal, as if he couldn’t possibly be human.

“Sorry.” Tae grinned, his gaze lingering on the neatly planted gardenias before regarding Jungkook curiously. “I’ve never fallen, if that makes you feel better. I am usually very nimble on my feet. Took dance for a few years back in High School too. You would have fallen from the cherry tree last night if it weren’t for my quick thinking.”

Jungkook only narrowed his eyes even further the more excuses Taehyung gave. 

To prove his point, Taehyung turned his back to Jungkook and stepped up on the ledge of the roof, merely one fourth meter of solid cement beneath his feet and hundreds just below. One misstep-

Taehyung gasped.

His foot slipped.

Jungkook lunged.

He caught Taehyung’s arm and pulled the older student back onto the roof. His arms shook and his heart beat wildly. Taehyung only laughed, clutching his chest with one hand and his camera with the other. He heaved in his breath so overdramatically, it seemed as if he were mocking Jungkook’s concern. As if it were all a joke.

“Are you crazy?” Jungkook nearly shouted, his hand still firmly holding onto Taehyung’s forearm.

Taehyung smirked.

“You are.” Jungkook released Taehyung’s arm and stepped away. He needed to change the conversation and wipe that grin from Taehyung’s face. “You called me up to talk about something?”

“Oh, yeah.” Taehyung took a seat facing the edge and invited Jungkook to join him. 

Gingerly, Jungkook pulled his hands from his pockets and lowered himself to sit beside Taehyung. He eyed the edge and kept the tips of his sneakers from touching the combing. 

If he were willing to be honest with himself, he would say the view was quite the breathtaker. The overcast morning set a filter of opal hues, casting an quaint, vintage effect upon the skies. Saffron roofs peeked up through interlacing branches of verdigris and apricot maple trees, fringed occasionally by the sweet tints of cherry blossom pinks. It was beautiful, but Jungkook wasn’t willing to be honest with himself quite right then. The threat of falling to his death preoccupied his thoughts more actively than the artistry of his campus.

“Why did you start painting?”

Jungkook caught Taehyung’s gaze, but he could read nothing unusual but curiosity.

“I like creating things.” Jungkook started. Taehyung stayed silent, as if to urge Jungkook to continue. “I like seeing the colors blend onto the page. Sometimes it feels like I'm only in a dream, and the things I see will disappear any moment. I paint so what I see will stay.”

It might have been awkward talking about his deeper thoughts to someone he had just met if that someone weren’t Taehyung. But Jungkook felt a certain tie to the student staring at him in honest interest.

Jungkook paused, looking out towards the horizon. A puff of his breath curled into a tiny white mushroom-cloud. He shrugged off an itch and met Taehyung’s eyes once more.

“The only time I feel alive is when I’m painting.”

Taehyung snorted softly, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. “Vincent Van Gogh.”

“The greatest artist in history.” Jungkook smirked.

“I cannot disagree with you there.” Taehyung leaned back on his hands. “His  _ Scheveningen Beach _ was quite the aesthetic.”

“I don’t know. I’d say his  _ Potato Eaters _ was the ‘aesthetic’ one. His use of lighting really brought out the ugly in the people’s faces.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yep. Like this.” Jungkook pulled a derp face, scrunching in his eyebrows and pursing his lips while sucking in his cheeks.

That set Taehyung off into an uncontrollable burst of laughter. He clapped his hands, smiling with a boxy, open-mouthed snicker. He looked so much like a child, Jungkook almost forgot Taehyung was older than himself.

He joined the laughter a moment later, letting himself fall on his back onto the concrete roof as he covered his mouth shyly.

The laughter faded into silence as Taehyung settled himself on his back as well. The clouds began to bunch up in tiny puffballs that looked like pulled cotton-candy. Various shades of white and grey and wisps of purple from the dirty atmosphere every so slowly gathered into what looked like low-hanging pillow stuffing.

“Storm tonight.” Taehyung murmured. 

Jungkook hummed. “How bad?”

“I’m not sure. Higher winds. Maybe a bit of lighting. Doesn’t look like it will stay too close to us for very long. We will definitely get rain though.”

Jungkook hummed again.

Taehyung tilted his head to look at Jungkook. “Are you busy tonight?”

Jungkook immediately envisioned his cluttered apartment, art supplies scattered on the living room coffee table and several easels set up near his wall of windows looking out on the campus. His couches might have a sweatshirt or two draped over the armrests and his carpets were most definitely not vacuumed. He didn’t want to think about the state of his kitchen, or rather, what had evolved into his cleanup station for his myriad of brushes, rinse glasses and mixer palettes. Most importantly, Jungkook saw his empty canvas in the center of the picture, still waiting for him to begin the assignment due in only five days now.

Jungkook facepalmed. “Yes…” He groaned, and let his hands fall to his sides. “I have this project.”

Taehyung’s brows popped up in immediate curiosity. “A project?”

“Yeah, I’m almost d-” Jungkook paused and opened his eyes to meet Taehyung’s intrigued expression. “I haven’t started it yet. I’m lacking inspiration.”

“Want to take a drive with me tonight?”

Jungkook sat up. “What?”

“Want to take a drive with me tonight?” Taehyung repeated. “Down to the beach by Yeonam-dong. The air is clear at night and it’s not too far away.”

Jungkook blinked. “Sure, but-”

“I’ll call you!” Taehyung jumped up, limbs loosely bouncing as a blinding grin split wide across his face. But the smile didn’t reach his eyes. They seemed grey. Taehyung scratched at his head and ducked his head quickly. “I’ll be leaving first then.”

“Wait,” Jungkook sat up. “Should I bring anything? It might get cold.”

Taehyung shrugged. “Sure, whatever.” He blinked hard against the sunlight before raising a hand for a quick wave. Then the roof door creaked shut and Jungkook was alone with his thoughts, confused, but intrigued.

* * *

The color orange lingered in Jungkook’s mind for the rest of the afternoon. It was a soft and near hazy orange, like sunlight filtered through flat-washed clouds. He saw amber on blond and blurred lights. He felt calm.

Tea rose clothed his apartment; the frost on his windows chipped and melted into smooth flakes with the golden light. Jungkook’s shadow cut a silhouette out of the ginger panes on his carpeted floor.

The canvas still set up in the center of the room burst in wisps of zest, twirling around into an image, almost abstract.

Paints in his drawer beckoned. Jungkook found a brush in his hand an a palette in the other so suddenly. Near mindlessly, everything set itself in place for him to begin. But he paused. Just before his brush touched the canvas, before the blend of sienna and tangerine could soak into its fibers.

The vibrancy dimmed. Grey clouds. Grey light. Grey room.

Thunder.

Jungkook sighed, returning the cling wrap about his palette to keep the paints moist, washing his brush in the kitchen sink, watching the colour ribbon down the drain. He blew air through his nose.

“I don’t understand.” He ran a hand in his hair and shook his head, like as if there were something clogging the tubes that sent creativity from his mind to his hands. Suddenly tired, Jungkook slumped into an armchair to stare at the still-empty canvas.

“Why won’t you work with me?” He thought aloud, not quite a question directed towards the canvas -  _ but maybe.  _ “Is there something I’m doing wrong? You’re due in less than a week and I still haven’t found enough inspiration to finish you. To start you… what am I doing wrong? What am I missing?”

The canvas stayed grey. As did his mood.

And for a long moment, Jungkook wondered if this assignment really mattered, and if it did, would not finishing it inhibit his future career? Would, further in life, he look back in regret or satisfaction? Maybe this painting, still yet to burst into existence could provide him with opportunities beyond of his imagination’s limit. Art gallery showings, auctions, commissions.

But why this painting?

Why did he put so much weight onto a painting that he could simply fudge a B for?

Certainly, no one would notice if he had finished it strictly on the assignment’s details.

But he would.

“Ach,” Jungkook stood and shook his head. He leaned into his step, arms crossed, and paced to the window, back to his armchair, to the door, back to the window. In the past, every step would spark a colour, an image, each piece of the acrylic puzzle slipping into place with ease. His steps were empty now. No colour. No image. Just steps.

Step. Breath. Step. Breath. Step.

Pause.

The sky outside bled grey and white. Puffy clouds, textured like silk pinned over marshmallows, rained bits of crystal as he watched. Rain collected into puddles in the lower indents in the pavement of the sidewalks, roads, grasses. A hundred tiny mirrors reflected the turbulent weather, and the window reflected his own stormy eyes.

His breath felt shallow now, the room stifling. Jungkook held his breath, willing the headache to disperse and the sudden tremors to still. Before he closed his eyes, a movement beneath him caught his full attention.

A car rolled up underneath his window, a story down, the silvery grey top nearly blending with the mood of the evening. It was a foreign car, the type one would see in television advertisements followed by short slogans like, “Drive to Thrive” and “The Power of Adventure”. With a squarish chassis and the wheels quite bulky, Jungkook assumed it was an off-road car, suitable for any type of terrain or weather nature could throw at it. Through the glassy sunroof built in towards the front of the car, Jungkook noticed a shock of blond hair, a bit wavy, and bouncing slightly as the owner searched through the glovebox for something.

Moments later, Jungkook felt his phone buzz and his ringtone sing, muffled, in his pocket.

“Hello?”

“Hey, are you ready?” Taehyung asked, his voice a bit rough, the sound scratching on the back of Jungkook’s mind. “I’m outside your dorm.”

Jungkook watched as Taehyung looked up through his skylight, searching the windows yet never quite reaching Jungkook’s gaze, the tinted glass preventing him from seeing much but a mirror of the town behind him.

“Yeah, but, how did you know where my dorm was?” Jungkook replied. He turned away from the window to snatch his hoodie from where it lay draped across the back of his armchair. A pre-prepared bag of assorted snacks, spicy rice cakes, seaweed crackers, and some sweeter, slightly more expensive, cookie-types - Taehyung seemed the type to have a more refined taste suited less towards corner store midnight snacks and more towards high class speciality store delicacies; although, Jungkook never really went near those stores on his grocery runs, so all he had on hand were a few packs of Pepero and honey butter waffles leftover from he and Jimin’s movie night two weeks ago.

Jungkook heard Taehyung clear his throat. “Ah, the university directory has a list and… well, I asked.” He laughed quite awkwardly.

“I see.”

“Would you like me to come up and help carry anything?” Taehyung asked after a long breath. “I have plenty of storage in the trunk if you-“

“Nah, it’s fine.” Jungkook hoisted his bag of goodies over his shoulder and flipped up his hood. Rain drizzled now outside. He spotted glimpses of it out the windows as he left his room, locking away thoughts of his artwork for now as he shut the door. 

A breeze caught in his eyes when he stepped out of the dorm complex. The slightest tremor in the air shook his nerves to chill.

Once Jungkook chucked his bag into the trunk and slid into the passenger seat, Taehyung eased out of Park into Drive, taking them smoothly out from the dorm’s section of the road into the center, then into the right lane. The rain plunked against the front window, sending tiny diamonds of red and green light racing, blinks of traffic lights, roads empty of traffic. Each moment took them into them wind, silent grey melding into black as the sun set for the night, and a calm buzz reigned between them.

It wasn’t quite awkward though. Rather, comforting. 

Their drive to the beach remained that same level of sweet silence until Taehyung reached forward to flick on the radio, glancing once at Jungkook with thoughtful look. In between the static, Taehyung flipped between several channels that buzzed loud, jarring pop music through the speakers. When Jungkook jumped at the noise, Taehyung noticed and opted for a calmer playlist. Jungkook settled into his seat, resting his arms on the sides and gently squeezing the soft material.

A song that sang of dying love with an acoustic guitar base and the soft voices of a woman and a man breathed into the car. Taehyung looked up again at Jungkook’s expression and, finding it much calmer and relieved, he surmised this channel to be the best choice.

Jungkook didn’t realise when the concrete melded into sand and smooth gravel. The car glided over the terrain as if it didn’t even touch the ground, and Taehyung’s low humming along with the radio set the tone of calm. Gazing out his passenger window with the fingers of exhaustion lingering at his eyelids, streaking invisible tears down his cheeks like fog collecting on a mirror, Jungkook watched the rise and fall of the ocean, its approach towards land and retraction, as if it were a hesitant lover, stepping forward to speak then stepping back in silence. It foamed bubbles of teal and heather, popping them against the crystal shoreline before inhaling the water away and closing its eyes against the night.

Taehyung pulled the vehicle to a gentle halt, clicking it into Park before leaning forward a bit to pull out the keys. The ring of keys jingled as he dropped them into the cupholder nearest him. Jungkook pulled his eyes away from the ocean and smiled softly when Taehyung addressed him, grinning in the slightest.

“Have you ever been down here?”

Junho breathed in deeply, “No. I moved to Pohang for university just a year ago... Haven’t really thought to explore much.”

“Ah.” Kitae smiled. “I’ve lived here my whole life, grew up out of town, in an outlying district, on a farm with my grandparents. Want to walk for a bit?”

Jungkook nodded, “what about when we come back?”

“I have some foldable chairs in the back, unless you want to sit on the roof.” Taehyung grinned when knocked with two fingers on the ceiling of the car.

Jungkook couldn’t help but return the grin. He used to sit on the roof of his dad’s truck when he and Jimin were younger, when they waited for their family to finish chatting with the other adults inside, while they talked about each other and their school projects. Jungkook wondered what he and Taehyung would talk about, on the walk and on the roof. Certainly not school, as that was what they were both intending to escape from when they came all the way out here. Maybe Taehyung would open up about his family or himself; Jungkook had yet to learn where Taehyung was born or even where he grew up, his favourite films or artists, what he thought of dance and music, how he spent his nights when he was alone and there was no one to call upon for comfort or companionship, why he took a snapshot of Jungkook the first night they met without asking permission or explaining afterwards.

They carried only a snack in one hand as they walked the beach, their heels digging into the spongy earth and releasing with slight suction as the moisture in the sand created a sort of vacuum. Though the colours of the beach and ocean soaked through in muted tones, the moonlight shimmered against the water, casting rays of streaking stars and dark clouds upon the tremoring waves.

“Love or trust?”

His honey butter waffles crunched like hard candy as Jungkook bit down hard in surprise at the sudden question. Taehyung watched him expectantly, sucking on the tip of a tube of flavoured ice. 

“What do you mean?”

“Choose one.”

Jungkook inhaled deeply before exhaling, “trust.”

“Why did you choose that one?’

He stopped, his hands falling slack to his sides and the honey butter waffle bag knocking against his thigh with a crinkle. Jungkook really couldn’t find the words to express exactly why he felt like he should choose trust. Taehyung kept silent, patiently allowing Jungkook to develop his thoughts before being pressured to speak again.

“I guess, because you can love someone and they might still hurt you. You can love someone and know that they are bad, that they’ll do things that are wrong, that they’ll never change. Your love might never be returned. You might live with your love slowly breaking your heart and tearing apart pieces of your soul as you continue to love unconditionally. Love can be corrupted; trust can be broken.

“But with trust, it goes both ways. Always. Trust is built mutually, and if one side doesn’t, the other can’t. How can you trust someone who doesn’t trust you? When you trust someone, you know that they will be there for you when you need them, as well as when you want them. When you trust someone, you know that they won’t leave you for someone else, you know that they won’t hurt you, and if they do, you trust that they’ll fix it. When that trust is returned, you hold a responsibility to keep that person’s heart and soul safe, protected, and if you break their trust, that’s it. It’s over. Nothing can bring you two back together except time and that mutual desire to trust again.

“Trust is safer.” Jungkook finished, frowning and rubbing his thumb with his forefinger, not daring to meet Taehyung’s eyes as his thoughts kept him lost and wondering. But when Taehyung spoke, he took Jungkook’s attention faster than an explosion on the beach before them would.

“I would choose love.”

Jungkook wrinkled his brows, munching down on another honey butter waffle. He finished that one before Taehyung spoke again.

“All I’ve ever wanted from someone was love.” Taehyung looked towards the ocean and stopped walking. Jungkook did so as well. Then, bringing his gaze from the ocean onto Taehyung, he frowned.

His face wore an expression of serene forlornness. Moonlight chiseled his features as if they were carved from stone at the hands of an artist. Each blink of his eyes slowed into a wave of butterfly wings.

“You don’t have to earn it. You can’t lose it. True, unconditional love holds more warmth and purpose than the sun.” tones of violet and sincerity painted his voice, “Even beyond death, love is strong.”

Jungkook searched for the words to respond, but with a tug at his heart, he kept silent, realising that silence in itself is an answer all on its own. He dug his toes into the damp sand and crunched on another waffle. Taehyung only stared out at the ocean.

Then just as subtly as it came, the moment broke, and Taehyung turned, smiling. “Let’s talk about something else.”

Jungkook nodded and followed behind Taehyung. They matched paces and chatted on insignificant subjects, the weather, the ocean, university, everything and anything that merited empty words and shallow thoughts. Jungkook sought out every opportunity to turn the conversation into a deeper subject, but he sensed a hand before the eyes of Taehyung’s soul, some sort of curtain that blocked him from peering in, intentionally or for simple curiosity. Vivid were the images he saw as they spoke, colours that burst from their smalltalk to reveal meanings and symbols deeper into their minds. Jungkook ached to connect with them and speak of more than the echoes of a wilted rose.

When they finally returned to the car, Taehyung retrieved a two pack of beer from the trunk and climbed on top of the roof of the grey vehicle. He urged Jungkook to join him and after a moment of awkward hesitation, he did. They both sat with their legs criss-crossed, sipping on their beers in silence, until Taehyung spoke.

  
“I’m leaving soon.” He took a long swig of his beer, tipping the can back nearly upside down. “I’m going to meet with my grandparents for winter break.”

“Oh,” Jungkook sipped at his beer. The subtle dark cherry flavour rolled over his tongue like a coating of sugar crystals. “When do you leave?”

“On the twentieth.”

“That’s in two days.”

Taehyung nodded. His expression darkened and as he drank the last bit of his beer, he stood and stretched. Jungkook clenched his teeth; the car shook a bit from Taehyung’s movement, sending shocks of anxiety through Jungkook’s chest. Taehyung teetered on the edge, staring off into the ocean instead of focusing on his balance. In a spark of panic, Jungkook grabbed the older’s hand and pulled. Taehyung lost his footing, but because Jungkook had a hold on his hand, Taehyung only fell hard on his butt on the top of the car, not slipping off or any further than where he had been sitting before.

“Idiot,” Jungkook murmured.

Taehyung laughed, covering his mouth with one hand while steadying himself with the other. 

“Listen,” Taehyung jostled into position to withdraw something from his interior jacket pocket. He slipped his hand in and, “I have something for you,” pulled out a small package, wrapped haphazardly in tissue paper and secured with a bit of blue washi tape. “It’s not much, but Jimin mentioned you have this project you’re working on and he knows you haven’t started on it. I thought maybe this would help.”

At mention of Jimin and the failure of his running bluff, Jungkook felt the urge to retch over the side of the car roof. But he only stared, nervous anticipation causing his hands to shake in the slightest. Taehyung held out the little package and, taking it, Jungkook unwrapped it.

Nestled inside the layers of white tissue paper were two tubes of what seemed to be watercolour paint. 

“Thank you, but-” Jungkook started.

“It’s your colour,” Taehyung picked up one of the tubes and held it up so that the light of the moon illuminated the letters.  _ Cerulean _ , Jungkook read the delicate text. “and mine.”

Jungkook looked down to the other and angled it so the moon would light on its surface as well.  _ Mauve _ . Jungkook met Taehyung’s eyes and hoped Taehyung understood the question in his eyes.

“Jimin mentioned you would often be inspired by other people and the personalities and colours they portrayed. These are our colours, the ones that I see, at least.” Taehyung’s eyes gleamed excitement. Jungkook snorted softly and relaxed his features into a light smile; Jimin knew him so well, and Taehyung seemed to genuinely want to help. Though blue and purple weren’t quite the colours he himself would’ve picked out for him and Taehyung, Jungkook felt yet the motivation to paint rise to his fingertips. 

He saw cherry blossom trees and a path dusted with pink and purple petals. He felt a breeze touch his cheeks and the scent of cherry and lemon waft about his breath. The scene burst forth in his mind of a young photographer snapping a picture of something off-frame, towards the viewer, encircled in a cerulean blue sky and a wreath of mauve petals in the wind. Jungkook’s fingers itched to paint this snapshot of a beautiful moment in time.

“Do you have something?” Taehyung leaned in, and promptly lost his balance, slipping off the roof of his car and landing solidly on his rear with a thud. Jungkook stifled a snicker as he leaned over. Taehyung’s gaze held a fond expression of delight and subtle pain at the same time.

“Yes, I have something.” Jungkook replied, though, in his mind, replacing  _ something _ with  _ you _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls comment! I spent a half an hour formatting this ><

**Author's Note:**

> please review! <3


End file.
